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Post by Elf on Jan 31, 2010 17:24:11 GMT -5
His shoulders slouched as she ruffled his hair--but who was he to protest, when she'd just saved his whole livelihood? Chrono gave a resigned smile, shrugging. There was nothing for it, he supposed. I am living here now, aren't I...? "Alright, Ms. Valentine," he conceded. His demeanor may have gotten more casual, but they weren't on a first-name basis JUST yet.
Chrono's smile broadened and brightened at the offer. "Yes, please," he said, picking up his cup from the table and moving over to the counter to refill it. As he took a sip, as the warmth of the chocolate again flooded him from head to toe, the sounds from outside drifted to him again. "Ah." That was right. This was a Snow Day, a day to be enjoyed, a day to relax--not a day to rage, not a day to stress. Not a day to think of the deeper repercussions of the course Fate had taken recently. Not a day to worry at all. Just...Snow, and hot chocolate. And a blanket. And maybe a seat by the window so he could watch the kids.
And as he settled into a chair by the living room window, blanket once more draped around his shoulders, hot chocolate in hand, Chrono figured he must have gotten this formula right, because the warmth that spread through him was only partly due to the steaming sweet drink in his hand.
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Post by Meryck on Jan 31, 2010 17:32:36 GMT -5
Reg glanced up again, seeing Chrono at the window. Hmm. He didn't look mad.
Eh, probably not a good idea to push the subject. She grinned and waved...
Only to be thwacked with another snowball to the head. Needless to say, a few minutes later found her chasing her brother around the yard again, shaking her fist, both once again grinning like the morons snow made everyone become.
Today was, indeed, a good day.
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Post by Elf on Jan 31, 2010 17:44:58 GMT -5
Chrono blinked, catching Reg's wave. He gave her a sleepy grin, his eye already drooping, and raised his cup of hot chocolate to her in lieu of another hand to wave with. He must have looked a bit of a dork, slouched into the Lazy Boy as he was, with his long legs stretched out in front of him, heels on the ground and feet listing to the sides. But he felt lost in a cloud of fluff; being slouched had the added advantage of making his voluminous hair into something of a second blanket, which pooled about his shoulders and allowed him to pull the actual blanket a little farther down his chest. That and with the hot chocolate warming him from the inside, Chrono felt quite cozy.
He took another sip of the drink. His elfish ears drooped a bit as the familiar happy, warm feeling spread through him. He sank a little bit more into the cushions.
This feeling...it's more than simple warmth, isn't it? his foggy mind reflected. Everyone here is so welcoming, so warm...could I maybe call this place...?
Home?
A place to go back to...
Chrono sighed. Maybe. Maybe not yet. The past was still a part of him, the future still uncertain. But for now...now, maybe he'd be content to bask in the warmth of the present.
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Post by Meryck on Jan 31, 2010 18:00:47 GMT -5
Eventually, the kids realized that having numb noses and fingers tended to be a bad thing and scrambled inside, dusting the snow off, laughingly, as they just got in the door. After hanging up their jackets and hopping out of their boots, the siblings hauled up the stairs, still chortling. Corey promptly trotted into the kitchen and let out a whoop of joy; "Hot chocolate!" This was followed by a pair of laughs- one from his adopted mother in the kitchen, and one from his sister, who had slowed down after getting into the living room. She had every intention of getting herself some warm things to eat and drink.
But first...
She walked over to the elder demon and executed a flop-hug. "Good Mornin'", she giggled happily.
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Post by Elf on Jan 31, 2010 18:18:45 GMT -5
Chrono was already halfway back to sleep when the Alastor siblings opened the front door. His senses were all muffled by a blanket and a curtain of hair; his awareness was distracted by the sweet, sweet glory of hot chocolate...so of course he didn't see the flop-hug coming until it was too late.
"Uuff!" Now he was awake. Either by superior demonic reflexes or by sheer dumb luck, Chrono managed to hold his hot chocolate aloft and out of the way, preventing it from spilling on either him or Reg as the pile of snow-bunnied teenager suddenly landed on his chest.
"G-Good morning to you too, Reg," Chrono laughed. Here was one more reason to love snowdays, he decided: Snow Bunny Flop Hugs.
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Post by Meryck on Jan 31, 2010 18:30:23 GMT -5
She grinned and added a lighthearted squeeze before getting off Chrono and walking to the kitchen. She pointed at her brother- who was now eating breakfast with a steaming mug of the warm drink- as she entered and headed for her favored mug. "If you just took the last of the hot chocolate, I am going to eat your immortal soul." She was grinning. He made a false gasp of dismay, trying to keep his own smirk down.
"But I like my soul!"
"Too bad, kiddo." The three Valentines started laughing at the standard joke between the brother and sister- ah, stupid gags, how we love thee. Reg got her mug, filled it with hot chocolate, then grabbed a plate to put her own breakfast on.
Warm food was warm and good, yes indeedy.
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Post by Elf on Jan 31, 2010 19:02:55 GMT -5
As enjoyable as staying among the members of the Valentine family and basking in the glow of their early-morning bickering was, Chrono had already eaten. He adjourned upstairs earlier than the rest, decided to get a jump on showering and getting ready for the day. After all, with a hot meal and a couple of cups of hot chocolate in him, he'd be a little sluggish for a while. If they had somewhere to go, it was better to start getting ready now so he wouldn't hold up anybody.
So Chrono ended up sitting on the side of his bed, patiently working at his tangles with a comb while gazing distractedly out the window. Occasionally he glanced over at Ran--the Dragon demon was still deeply entrenched in his covers--only to have his gaze float back to the window, and to the white world outside it. The pristine blanket of snow brought an undeniable tranquility to the world, a peaceful feeling that Chrono allowed himself to bask in for a moment. Even though the world had changed--even though the world was full of traffic and technology, people and noise, pollution and corruption--sometimes, the world could still show a side of purity, of innocence. It brought a light smile to the demon's face, one that stayed easily in place.
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Post by Meryck on Jan 31, 2010 19:21:46 GMT -5
((OOC: The hair-tie looks like a white-band version of this- www.celticjeweler.com/celtic_complements_collection/images/oak_tree_hair_tie_lg.jpg )) Knock knock knock. The door cracked open to allow sound through. "I'm coming in. If anybody's indecent, feel free to huck stuff at me." Reg opened the door and stepped in- she had obviously combed her hair, but had forgotten to braid it afterwords, as evidenced by the white hair tie with a metal, ornamental charm of an Celtic-ized oak tree hanging from her wrist. She looked at the lump under the covers that was Ran and sighed, quietly. "Aww. Poor Ran." She walked over and re-arranged the covers slightly to make it a little warmer for him (hopefully). There was a small muffled mumble, but nothing more. She sighed again. |
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Post by Elf on Jan 31, 2010 19:29:59 GMT -5
Chrono looked up at the knock, smirking and shaking his head. "We're decent," he reassured just as Reg let herself in the room anyway.
Concern furrowed his brow as Reg pulled the blankets up around her friend, and as the younger demon let out a sleepy grumble. "He's alright, isn't he?" he ventured. He knew that the reptilian variety of demons were as cold-blooded as their non-sentient counterparts, but he'd never spent any real time around those of that breed, and as such wasn't quite used to a cold-blooded creature's reactions to the weather.
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Post by Meryck on Jan 31, 2010 19:47:38 GMT -5
She sighed. "Yeah, he's fine. He just stays asleep until it quits being below freezing. Hopefully, he'll wake up tomorrow." At the cost of no snow left on the ground. Aw, well. Can't get everything in life. She looked over at the elder demon.
Blinked.
Then snickered. "You realize you've got a comb stuck in yer hair, right?"
For indeed, Chrono had forgotten the fact he was combing when the girl entered and, indeed, it was now stuck in his snarled mane. She kept snickering as she walked over, plopped down next to him, and calmly picked up where he stopped combing without any need for a prelude.
When did combing someone's hair out of sheer niceness need a preceding statement, anyway?
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Post by Elf on Jan 31, 2010 20:00:16 GMT -5
"Hm." The elder demon let out a thoughtful noise as he studied the lump of blankets indicating the presence of a younger demon. Poor Ran. At least he'd be well-rested.
"Eh?" Chrono blinked over at the girl, glanced down at his hair, saw nothing but purple, and patted his head to look for the accused comb. But alas, Reg got to him first, plucking the instrument out of his mane and taking up the task for him.
A light blush crawled over his cheeks, followed quickly by a saddened, faraway look. It was a little embarrassing, having Reg detangle him like this, yet it was very sweet. He remembered the last time someone had taken on the task of his hair...an exuberant little blonde girl, long, long ago.
"You don't need to do that," he said softly. The words drew his face further into the depths of melancholy nostalgia...they were exactly the same reaction he'd had the first time, and spoken almost without his realizing it.
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Post by Meryck on Jan 31, 2010 20:12:49 GMT -5
Reg blinked at the melancholy. Paused, brow furrowing in concern.
Then her face twisted in aggravation. "Quitit", she snapped as she continued combing, "There's no reason to get depressed just because I start combing yer frickin' hair. Dear God, I think you're more of a mope than Ran." She sighed, softly, annoyance fading. "Besides. I don't mind doing this. Easier than you having to sit here for five minutes straightening it out yourself, right?" She offered a lop-sided, half-hearted grin, in an attempt to get him to lighten up.
If this fails miserably, it'll be just my luck.
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Post by Elf on Jan 31, 2010 21:26:34 GMT -5
Chrono blinked, but did not turn. He stared straight ahead, surprise playing with his features.
The surprise bled away, replaced with a rueful smile. He half-turned towards her to get his good eye facing her way without interrupting her combing.
"It's not because of that," he said, a hint more of that melancholy underlying his soft voice, until the smile banished it.
"But you're right. I guess I am being a little stupid."
He sighed, still wearing that rueful smile as he turned back around and let her work at his tangles.
Run forward...always forward...
The demon let out a sigh. He sure was being a sap, wasn't he?
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Post by Meryck on Jan 31, 2010 21:35:54 GMT -5
Reg's face melted into a soft smile as she continued dealing with his mane. Slowly, gently, the knots were undone, and eventually, one would be able to run their hands through Chrono's hair without resistance.
Sadly, it wasn't going to stay that way for long, considering it was always loose....unless...
The metal on the hair tie reminded Reg of it's presence. She blinked at it, thoughtfully, then smiled. She ran the comb through Chrono's hair a couple extra times, then slowly, carefully, began weaving the locks.
A braid should keep his hair manageable for a while. Even if she didn't know the ironies upon history-repeating ironies in what she was doing.
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Post by Elf on Jan 31, 2010 21:44:29 GMT -5
After a while, Chrono got used to the feeling of the comb easing through the tangles, to the feel of hands in his hair. He closed his eyes, letting Reg do as she would.
His brow twitched as he felt her gather the hair into bunches, and at the sharp tugs as she wove in a distinct, repetitive pattern...
He opened his eyes, blinking in surprise as he felt his hair settle onto his back with a familiar, linear weight. Chrono reached around and grabbed...a braid.
For a moment, all he did was stare. He wasn't sure which perplexed him more--the strange, nostalgic irony flooding him, or the silver medallion perched on the end of his braid, held there by the hair tie. His gaze trailed through the lines, looping down and around the Celtic knot until he was almost dizzy. He recognized the shape of that leaf, though--an oak. It all seemed so symbolic, so meaningful...
...and yet, as he turned around to face Reg and to thank her, the simple, satisfied smile on her face brought him back to reality with a bump. He really was being silly.
He returned the smile with a warm one of his own. "Thank you, Reg. This'll make it much more manageable, now."
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